The Importance of Sales Forecasting

To run a business, it’s essential to keep track of your sales and spending. At the same time, diligent tracking is irrelevant if you notice a substantial amount of unnecessary spending and unexpectedly low sales. If you want to maximize profits, your business should consider taking advantage of the benefits of sales forecasting.

If you feel like you’re constantly reacting to important sales data after the fact, take back control with a more proactive approach. Accurate forecasting lets you stay one step ahead, which is critical as your business grows. 

The Advantages of Sales Forecasting for Your Business

Your sales are the backbone of your business, so it’s important to give them the attention they deserve. Sales forecasting can help you plan out the trajectory of every facet of your business over the coming months. With effective sales forecasting, you can:

• Step up your financial planning: If you can forecast your sales accurately, you can make sure you have the cash you need on hand to keep up with essential payments. 
• Stabilize your inventory: Successful businesses have the products their customers want, when they want them. Sales forecasting can help you avoid over-stocking or under-stocking products.
• Improve staffing: Your business may not be seasonal, but you’re likely busier during certain parts of the year. When sales are high, it’s helpful to have extra team members on deck. Sales forecasting gives you the ability to hire staff with enough time to train them before your busy season.
• Enhance your marketing strategy: During slower periods, targeted marketing can go a long way when it comes to boosting sales. You can also plan bigger, more expensive marketing efforts to maximize profits when your cash flow is already high.
• Control your supply chain: When you can predict demand, you can plan accordingly and make sure you’re managing your resources to the best of your ability. You can ramp up production before demand spikes and slow it down before your supply becomes excessive.

Sales forecasting can help you improve cash flow, cut back on unnecessary spending and schedule production and staffing effectively to make the most of potential growth opportunities throughout the year.

How to Implement Sales Forecasting

Implementing sales forecasting for your business is not an exact science — but the right software can help. When you’re putting together a business plan, you should have a forecast for the next year broken down by month. It’s also helpful to plan out the next two to five years to provide a more general perspective.

Past data is a useful tool when it comes to sales forecasting. Looking back over the last year, you should be able to see trends of which months and seasons are busier than others. You may also see that certain products tend to move more at different times. Use this data to your advantage to plan for the future of your business. 

Sales forecasting software is an effective way to keep all of your past data and future projections in one convenient place. Streamlining your sales forecasting can be especially helpful as your business grows and you have more information to track. Ready to see effective forecasting in action? Schedule a demo with our team.

How Finale Inventory Can Help With Sales Forecasting

Ready to start implementing sales forecasting for your business? Our lightning fast, highly adaptable software makes it easier than ever to access powerful insights that will change the way you do business. Contact us today to learn more or start a free trial to see the difference for yourself.

To learn more about Sales Forecasting, check out our following resources:

Anticipatory Inventory Management

Demand Planning With Inventory Management

What Is Obsolete Inventory?

What You Need to Know About Demand Forecasting